A Vancouver, Wash. man paid $300 for a baseball allegedly signed by Roger Maris, later noticed that someone had written the one-time home run king's name in pencil and traced over it in ink. The man reported the forgery to the police.

A West Linn resident paid $700 for Beatles albums supposedly signed by the Fab Four, said prosecutor Michael Wu.

Baldwin was convicted on two counts of identity theft in a plea agreement. In return several charges were dismissed.Clackamas County Circuit Judge Thomas J. Rastetter sentenced Baldwin to 26 months in prison and ordered him to repay the two victims.

Baldwin sold a baseball with a forged signature to an informant during a Clackamas County Sheriff's Office investigation. The item had the same certification number as another fraudulent baseball sold to a different victim.

When detectives raided Baldwin's home they found a trove of fake sports memorabilia, including baseballs with "Babe Ruth" signatures.

Fraudulent Babe Ruth signature

In 1998, Baldwin was convicted in U.S. District Court of robbing an armored car the previous year. He was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison.